Methods of fabricating a semiconductor device having a barrier metal layer and devices formed thereby

Abstract

A semiconductor device is formed by forming a gate region, including a gate oxide layer, and impurity diffusion regions on a semiconductor substrate, forming a barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate, forming a passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer to remove defects of the gate oxide layer, and then performing a nitridation process to remove impurities from the semiconductor substrate.

1. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 forming a gate region, comprising a gate oxide layer, and impurity diffusion regions on a semiconductor substrate; 
 forming a barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate; 
 forming a passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer to remove defects of the gate oxide layer; then 
 performing a nitridation process to remove impurities from the semiconductor substrate; 
 forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resultant structure having the gate region, impurity diffusion regions, barrier metal layer, and passivation layer; 
 forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating layer to expose portions of the gate region and impurity diffusion regions; and 
 forming contact plugs in the contact holes. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier metal is a silicide layer comprising titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), and/or nickel (Ni). 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the passivation layer comprises performing a plasma process on the semiconductor substrate using a mixing gas comprising Ar/H2 or Ar/D2. 
   
   
     4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein performing the nitridation process comprises performing the nitridation process using plasma comprising NH3 or N2/H2. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the barrier metal layer comprises:
 supplying a process gas for forming the barrier metal layer into a process chamber; and 
 dissolving the process gas using a plasma energy so as to form the barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate. 
 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein supplying the process gas comprises:
 bypassing an exhaust line through a gas flow control unit to stabilize the process gas; and 
 pre-flowing the process gas to be diffused into the process chamber. 
 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the process gas comprises titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plasma energy used to dissolve the process gas is plasma energy formed by a gas comprising Ar and H2. 
   
   
     9. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 forming a gate region, comprising a gate oxide layer. and impurity diffusion regions on a semiconductor substrate; 
 forming a barrier metal layer comprising a silicide layer to serve as a contact resistance on the gate region and impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate; 
 performing a plasma process, comprising Ar/H2 or Ar/D2, on the semiconductor substrate having the silicide layer formed thereon, thereby forming a H2 or D2 passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer; then 
 performing a nitridation process using NH3 or N2/H2 plasma to remove impurities from the semiconductor substrate; 
 forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resultant structure having the gate region, impurity diffusion regions, barrier metal layer, and passivation layer; 
 forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating layer to expose portions of the gate region and impurity diffusion regions; and 
 forming contact plugs in the contact holes. 
 
   
   
     10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the silicide layer comprises titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), and/or nickel (Ni). 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein forming the barrier metal layer comprises:
 supplying a process gas for forming the barrier metal layer into a process chamber; and 
 dissolving the process gas using a plasma energy so as to form the barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate. 
 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein supplying the process gas comprises:
 bypassing an exhaust line through a gas flow control unit to stabilize the process gas; and 
 pre-flowing the process gas to be diffused into the process chamber. 
 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the process gas comprises titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plasma energy used to dissolve the process gas is plasma energy formed by a gas comprising Ar and H2. 
   
   
     15. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 supplying TiCl4, Ar, and H2 gas into a process chamber holding a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a gate region, comprising a gate oxide layer, and impurity diffusion regions formed thereon; 
 forming plasma using the Ar and H2 gas; 
 dissolving the TiCl4 gas using Ar and H2 plasma energy, thereby forming a TiSi2 layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate; 
 performing a plasma process using Ar/H2 or Ar/D2 on the semiconductor substrate having the TiSi2 layer formed thereon, thereby forming a H2 or D2 passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer; then 
 performing a nitridation process using NH3 or N2/H2 plasma to remove Cl dissolved from the TiCl4 gas and/or existing in the semiconductor substrate; 
 forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resultant structure having the gate region, impurity diffusion regions, and passivation layer; 
 forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating layer to expose portions of the gate region and impurity diffusion regions; and 
 forming contact plugs in the contact holes. 
 
   
   
     16. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 forming a gate region, comprising a gate oxide layer, and impurity diffusion regions on a semiconductor substrate; 
 forming a barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate; 
 performing a nitridation process to remove impurities from the semiconductor substrate; then 
 forming a passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer to remove defects of the gate oxide layer; 
 forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resultant structure having the gate region, impurity diffusion regions, barrier metal layer, and passivation layer; 
 forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating layer to expose portions of the gate region and impurity diffusion regions; and 
 forming contact plugs in the contact holes. 
 
   
   
     17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the barrier layer metal comprises titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), and/or nickel (Ni). 
   
   
     18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming the passivation layer comprises performing a plasma process on the semiconductor substrate using a mixing gas comprising Ar/H2 or Ar/D2. 
   
   
     19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein performing the nitridation process comprises performing the nitridation process using plasma comprising NH3 or N2/H2. 
   
   
     20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming the barrier metal layer comprises:
 supplying a process gas for forming the barrier metal layer into a process chamber; and 
 dissolving the process gas using a plasma energy so as to form the barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate. 
 
   
   
     21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein supplying the process gas comprises:
 bypassing an exhaust line through a gas flow control unit to stabilize the process gas; and 
 pre-flowing the process gas to be diffused into the process chamber. 
 
   
   
     22. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the process gas comprises titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). 
   
   
     23. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the plasma energy used to dissolve the process gas is plasma energy formed by a gas comprising Ar and H2. 
   
   
     24. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 forming a gate region, comprising a gate oxide layer, and impurity diffusion regions on a semiconductor substrate; 
 forming a barrier metal layer comprising a silicide layer to serve as a contact resistance on the gate region and impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate; 
 performing a nitridation process using NH3 or N2/H2 plasma to remove impurities from the semiconductor substrate; then 
 performing a plasma process, comprising Ar/H2 or Ar/D2, on the semiconductor substrate having the silicide layer formed thereon, thereby forming a H2 or D2 passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer; 
 forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resultant structure having the gate region, impurity diffusion regions, barrier metal layer, and passivation layer; 
 forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating layer to expose portions of the gate region and impurity diffusion regions; and 
 forming contact plugs in the contact holes. 
 
   
   
     25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the silicide layer comprises titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), cobalt (Co), and/or nickel (Ni). 
   
   
     26. The method of  claim 24 , wherein forming the barrier metal layer comprises:
 supplying a process gas for forming the barrier metal layer into a process chamber; and 
 dissolving the process gas using a plasma energy so as to form the barrier metal layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate. 
 
   
   
     27. The method of  claim 26 , wherein supplying the process gas comprises:
 bypassing an exhaust line through a gas flow control unit to stabilize the process gas; and 
 pre-flowing the process gas to be diffused into the process chamber. 
 
   
   
     28. The method of  claim 26 , wherein the process gas comprises titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). 
   
   
     29. The method of  claim 26 , wherein the plasma energy used to dissolve the process gas is plasma energy formed by a gas comprising Ar and H2. 
   
   
     30. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
 supplying TiCl4, Ar, and H2 gas into a process chamber holding a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a gate region, comprising a gate oxide layer, and impurity diffusion regions formed thereon; 
 forming plasma using the Ar and H2 gas; 
 dissolving the TiCl4 gas using Ar and H2 plasma energy, thereby forming a TiSi2 layer on the gate region and the impurity diffusion regions of the semiconductor substrate; 
 performing a nitridation process using NH3 or N2/H2 plasma to remove Cl dissolved from the TiCl4 gas and/or existing in the semiconductor substrate; then 
 performing a plasma process using Ar/H2 or Ar/D2 on the semiconductor substrate having the TiSi2 layer formed thereon, thereby forming a H2 or D2 passivation layer at an interface between the semiconductor substrate and the gate oxide layer; 
 forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resultant structure having the gate region, impurity diffusion regions, and passivation layer; 
 forming contact holes in the interlayer insulating layer to expose portions of the gate region and impurity diffusion regions; and 
 forming contact plugs in the contact holes.